Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 07/01/2024 *Starred Review* Learning colors is a staple of childhood development, but what about learning about colors? This engaging overview introduces kids to many facets of how colors are defined, created, perceived, combined, brightened, heightened, and transformed by creative, natural, and scientific processes. Written by a bagel-loving artist and children's book illustrator, the text directly addresses readers while sharing the author's research, including sometimes stinky or disgusting discoveries. Another interesting topic covered is the history of how color has been used to designate, symbolize, and convey information over centuries. There's plenty of science (light waves, prisms, chemistry) and technology (how to make crayons, dye clothing, oxidize sculptures) along with basic art facts (color wheel, famous artists, artworks). Selected colors (red, blue, yellow, green, purple, orange, pink, black) get an entire chapter each detailing various pigment-producing ingredients (minerals, plants, crushed bugs, cow pee), historic applications and meanings, and interesting sidebars. Every page is filled with charming, humorous, and instructive illustrations that effectively enhance the text while showing Weinberg's whimsical creativity. The final chapter offers recipes, activities, maps, the periodic table, an extensive glossary, notes, and a bibliography. There are very few books on this subject, and this accessible, fun, and enlightening selection makes a perfect addition for brightening up school and public library STEAM collections. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.